"Samuel Pape is a star – a pleasure to work with, cool under pressure, and with perfect command of all aspects of a case."
The Legal 500 UK 2023
"Investment treaty arbitration expert."
The Legal 500 UK 2025
Next Generation Partner – International Arbitration
The Legal 500 UK 2025
"Knowledgeable and hardworking."
The Legal 500 UK 2024
Profile
Samuel Pape is a leading international dispute resolution lawyer. As a strategic advisor and trial advocate, he handles bet-the-company cases in international commercial and investment treaty arbitration, as well as in litigation.
Drawing on 15 years of experience, he represents multinational companies, private equity funds, State parties, and financial institutions in disputes across a range of sectors including energy, mining, banking, and technology. His experience includes acting in M&A, shareholder, commercial and financial disputes, as well as in transnational tort class actions.
Widely recognized as a leading dispute resolution lawyer of his generation, Samuel has acted in over 50 international arbitration and litigation proceedings. He is ranked as a Next Generation Partner by The Legal 500 UK 2025 and a Future Leader in Arbitration by Who’s Who Legal / Lexology 2025.
Samuel is bilingual in English and French and also speaks Spanish and Portuguese. He frequently handles disputes in francophone jurisdictions as well as in Latin America, and is noted for having “a fine record in the region” by The Legal 500 Latin America.
An active member of the international arbitration community, Samuel serves on the executive board of the Institute for Transnational Arbitration and the editorial board of the European Investment Law and Arbitration Review. He is frequently invited to lecture at universities and to speak on panels on international arbitration.
Through his pro bono efforts, Samuel is committed to advancing access to justice, serving as a trustee of the Free Representation Unit, a London-based charity providing free legal representation to those in need.
Experience
Samuel's experience includes representing:
Commercial Arbitration
A leading mining company on a very high value shareholder rights and environmental dispute arising from projects in Latin America
A state-owned oil company in defending a US$1 billion HKIAC arbitration concerning alleged events of default under a loan agreement
A syndicate of banks in an LCIA arbitration enforcing equity support and completion guarantees provided in a complex Islamic project financing transaction in the renewable energy sector
A supplier of aircraft engine components in an ICC arbitration against an aircraft engine manufacturer
A technology company in an ICC arbitration against a key supplier concerning a tortious conspiracy and the non-conformity of products with contractual specification
The purchaser of an aircraft in an ICC arbitration concerning the termination of an aircraft purchase agreement and related litigation in the United States
A multinational group of companies in an ICC arbitration arising out of the termination of a Concession agreement with a State
An oil major in an ad hoc arbitration against another oil major arising out of a long-term transportation and processing contract*
Investment Treaty Arbitration
The Republic of Colombia in three ICSID arbitrations under the Canada-Colombia FTA relating to mining prohibitions adopted to protect fragile ecosystems and biodiversity in the Andes
The Republic of Colombia in an ICSID arbitration brought by a mining company under the Canada-FTA relating to the alleged failure to protect gold mining projects from artisanal and small-scale mining activities
Mason Capital in its investment treaty claim against the Republic of Korea following the exposure of corruption involving South Korean political and business leaders
A UK property development group in an ICSID arbitration against the Republic of Mauritius
A sovereign party in a PCA-administered investor-State dispute concerning a bank rescue program
Mobile TeleSystems in its US$2.5 billion investor-state arbitration against Uzbekistan brought under the Additional Facility of the ICSID, including successfully defending an Article 45(6) application*
Litigation
Royal Dutch Shell Plc and Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria in their defence of transnational human rights and environmental class actions
A minority shareholder in multi-billion dollar unfair prejudice petitions against the majority shareholder in a multinational joint-venture in the real estate and energy sectors
A syndicate of banks in proceedings relating to the enforcement of an LCIA arbitration award
Daewoo Motors in a challenge to an ICC arbitration award brought by General Motors arising from the acquisition of Daewoo’s automotive business*
*Matter handled prior to joining Latham
Qualifications
Bar Qualification
England and Wales (Solicitor)
Education
Legal Practice Course, College of Law, 2010 with distinction
Graduate Diploma in Law, College of Law, 2009 with distinction
BA (Hons) Philosophy, Politics and Economics, University of Oxford, 2008
Firm honored by Law360 for advising startups, financial institutions, VCs, digital asset and Web3 participants, and corporations on their most innovative and complex transactions, investigations, litigation, and regulatory matters.
A Latham international arbitration team earned the accolade for their second ICSID victory for the Republic of Colombia in a US$180 million dispute related to the páramos mining ban.
Latham International Arbitration team received recognition for securing a complete victory for the Republic of Colombia in a major international environmental dispute.
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